Applied SmartFactory® Run­-to-­Run Control

Run-to-Run

Automated recipe tuning to improve process capability (Cpk)

Controlling process disruptions is essential as today’s factories invest more in automated information handling, equipment integration and advanced process control (APC) tools such as R2R controllers that monitor and control process variances. To better manage these disruptions, SmartFactory Run‐to‐Run (R2R) Control offers an APC solution that improves process capability (Cpk) and optimizes tool recipe parameters. SmartFactory R2R is built on the Applied’s equipment control technology, the E3 platform.

Improve Your Process Capabilities

SmartFactory R2R offers a patented model predictive control solution providing a multivariate, constrained, optimization based process controller with proven deployment success. Historical data from SmartFactory R2R implementations at customer sites have shown over 25% improvement in Cpk on several tool types. Implementations have also resulted in a 75% reduction in rework rate in the photolithography module.

Lower Your Cost Of Ownership

SmartFactory R2R reduces model management activities through a unified modeling structure approach and advanced patented technology. Manufacturers benefit from SmartFactory’s R2R controller by improving process capability, reducing send‐ahead and pilot wafers, and improving overall equipment effectiveness. One customer was able to deploy 25 independent R2R controllers fab‐wide in under 18 months. By using a common framework (as opposed to point solutions), the customer’s development time was only one week per controller.

Improve Process Consistency And Product Quality

With SmartFactory R2R, manufacturers can make automatic adjustments to processes to maintain a required target value for specific properties, such as wafer thickness and critical dimension. You can also use metrology data from each process step to adjust process recipes on a run‐to‐run basis and define customized strategies, such as rework, to be performed in a highly automated fashion.